The closest prior art to the present invention is probably Ser. No. 08/103,122 entitled "Equipment and Process for Waste Pyrolysis and Off-Gas Oxidative Treatment" but differs significantly in that process and equipment is designed specifically to treat chlorinated hydrocarbon waste by dissolution of the waste beneath the surface of a molten metal with continuous draw off of the molten chloride formed by maximum contact with the molten metal with the waste. Magnesium, zinc, calcium and other metals that form non-sublimable chlorides that remain molten at about or below 850.degree. C. would be suitable. The preferred metal is magnesium but magnesium-zinc mixture or zinc alone should be equally usable.
Magnesium metal used for the molten bath may be of low purity. Scrap magnesium should be quite satisfactory.
Large volumes of the chlorinated waste exist and equipment in this process is specifically designed to allow safe, complete destruction to harmless, environmentally innocuous products, essentially carbon, hydrogen and magnesium chloride.
In this process the magnesium may be heated and held molten by electrical induction heating or by fossil fuel. The molten bath is held at approximately 750.degree. to 900.degree. C. by continuous heating.
Above 800.degree. C. essentially all organic materials, including organic pathogens, are broken down into carbon and gaseous products. Negative ions such as chlorine, bromide, etc., in the organic compounds will react with the alloy and be held as non volatile salts. Magnesium chloride salt formed will be molten. The carbon, and hydrogen and, other oxidizable products, if present after pyrolysis are oxidized in the oxidation chamber. Glass will melt and metal will dissolve or remain in the molten bath. Water in the form of steam will pass into the aqueous scrubber. Normally negative ions such as chlorine will be held by the magnesium; however salts that sublime such as aluminum chloride would be removed in the aqueous scrubber.
The magnesium chloride in the molten bath is drawn off continuously by an overflow level control to a sealed container for recovery of the magnesium and chlorine. A known electrolytic process may be used to separate the magnesium and chlorine. The magnesium could be recycled and chlorine is readily saleable. Carbon and hydrogen may be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water or carbon may be separated and used as carbon. Air is essentially excluded from the pyrolysis unit and the small amount of air that my enter with the magnesium as charged reacts to oxidize carbon to carbon monoxide or dioxide.